Dental Professionals

Dr. Amy Doneen of the BaleDoneen Method just published another wonderful piece on the critical importance of gum health and oral health. This is probably one of the best lay summaries of the risks that infected gums pose to HALF OF ADULTS over 30 years old. It’s a quick read, so definitely check it out.

The good news, at Dental Professionals we have been carrying out the bacterial testing she recommends for over three years! It’s a key part of our Perio 360 protocol.

We are proud to announce that, just as in 2017, each of the doctors at Dental Professionals has been selected by their peers as among the most outstanding dentists and specialists in Chicago. Chicago Magazine works to survey thousands of licensed dentists in the area and find out which in their field they trust to take care of their family and friends’ dental needs. It’s an honor to again be on this list.

Below you can see our featured write-up from 2017’s Top Dentists issue:

With the success of subscription shaving supplies, it was only a matter of time before a similar sales model was tried for oral health. A number of companies are attempting this, the most visible of which is Quip.

I personally see Quip ads all over my Facebook newsfeed and elsewhere online. This may be targeted marketing, as my searches tend dental, but I hear from non-dentite friends that they see them too.

Curious, I recently got my hands on a Quip brush and tried it out for a weekend. Full disclosure, I am a dedicated Sonicare user of 10+ years. As a fourth generation dentist, at some point I’ve had just about every make of manual brush, as well as an Oral-B electric brush in the past.

The Positive: Appearance. The design of Quip is quite attractive. The brush is comfortable to hold and pretty to look at. The suction feature is slick – not sticky when you touch it, but easily grips to my mirror or other smooth surface. The travel cover idea is nice too. Unfortunately…that’s really the only remarkable feature of Quip—it’s a nice looking toothbrush.

Negative 1: Function. Touted as an electric brush, Quip is essentially a manual brush that happens to gently vibrate a little. For manual brushers, it adds little effect, and for Sonic brushers, the “hold the brush in place and let it do the work method” does not work. It’s confusing really. Of course, these small vibrations feel better to some users (versus the Sonic brushes) because they are so delicate, but unfortunately delicate isn’t as effective in cleaning. Also, the bristle design is ineffective at reaching the distal (very back) side of the very back teeth.

Negative 2: Subscription. While it seems there are some loopholes, you are essentially paying a relatively high price to get average toothpaste and replacement brush tips every three months. You must also change the AAA battery on a similar schedule. Quip touts the lack of a rechargeable battery as a positive—I do not. A charged Sonicare easily makes it through a week or more of travel and doesn’t require buying, installing, and disposing of batteries.

Summary: If you have money to burn and want a glorified manual toothbrush, Quip may be for you. If you want the most effective cleaning and don’t need another subscription beyond Prime and Netflix, try a Sonicare (doesn’t need to be the highest end model…they all use the same technology). Or better yet, at your next dental visit, ask your provider for what they feel would be best brush for your specific needs.

My advice? Don’t get quipped.

-Dr. Jacobs

Here are a couple images of a Quip brush (green stripe) next to a Sonicare DiamondClean: